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Topic: Grapefruit least popular when it tastes best (Read 2106 times)

Florida had a hot and relatively wet summer and as a result, the minimum maturity standards for brix and acid levels are not being met as early as they normally are. This year’s harvest is delayed by about two to three weeks and fruit sizes are expected to be smaller. Some growers who have met the standards have started picking as prices for a carton are in the $30 range at the moment. Once supplies pick up, prices will settle down to about $12-$14 per carton. The Indian River region, known for the world’s best quality grapefruit, will start harvesting around October 5. Peak maturity for Florida grapefruit is not until January and February. That time of the year, the quality is at its best. US and Asia show opposite consumption trends"When the industry starts harvesting in October, demand will be strong until Thanksgiving and hopefully through Christmas," says an industry source. After the holidays, demand goes down while ironically quality of the fruit is at its best. In general, US grapefruit consumption is going down. Older people tend to like grapefruit, but because of changing demographics, the industry is losing the older customer base. Younger people do not prefer the taste of this citrus variety. Consumption is also suffering from bad publicity during the past five years as the fruit is believed to interact with certain medications. Contrary to the US, Asian markets go crazy for grapefruit. Culturally, the citrus variety is more significant and it is very popular for the Chinese New Year for instance.

Dark red varieties are preferred Florida grows two types of grapefruit: white and red. The white variety is almost a thing of the past and out of the red varieties, the dark reds are most popular. This includes the Star Ruby, Flame and Rio Red varieties. For the domestic fresh market, the Florida grapefruit industry competes with Texas. All recent growth in the industry is coming from Texas with acreage expansion limited to the dark Rio Red variety. When it comes to exports, Florida plays a more significant role.

I can't get the preference for red grapefuits. I know, i know, preference is a subjective thing. However i have had carton of both red and white grapefruits and whites are in my opinion so much better... at least, the one you can find in grocery stores. Maybe hand picked reds are better (but i doubt it).

So Millet when do grapefruit bloom? I'm assuming around March of the previous year so that's around 12-14 months from fruit set to optimum quality? I bought a small grafted White Grapefruit (nursery labeling) a couple weeks ago, hopefully it's a Marsh.

Bahama, your correct. Grapefruit bloom in early spring, can be eaten October/November, but if you let them remain on the tree until February/March, they become much sweeter. - Millet

And sweetness is just one of the aspect of the fruit. There's so much more than sweetness; a perfect blend between sweet, tart and bitter, added with the strong scent coming from the zest. If they are picked too soon the scent is good but the lack of sweetness makes the experience underwhelming. It's hard to enjoy something bitter and acidic. But when they are picked right... oh boy...

I'm just the opposite, my ruby red is hands down the best. I had both Duncan & Marsh and sent them to the chipper. Ruby red right off the tree in late Dec / early Jan are the best. Best part is, I grew mine from seed.

In a Dr Manners post on the old Citrus Growers Forum, Dr Manners wrote.... "The best grapefruit I ever ate was a seedless Marsh picked from a 25-year old tree. I remembered what he said and planted a Marsh grapefruit in the ground, it is now 6 year old. The fruit is still quite sour, but then it is a young tree. A person can purchase red grapefruit from most any store, but the whites are getting hard to find. Therefore, glad I purchase a Marsh when I did

In a Dr Manners post on the old Citrus Growers Forum, Dr Manners wrote.... "The best grapefruit I ever ate was a seedless Marsh picked from a 25-year old tree. I remembered what he said and planted a Marsh grapefruit in the ground, it is now 6 year old. The fruit is still quite sour, but then it is a young tree. A person can purchase red grapefruit from most any store, but the whites are getting hard to find. Therefore, glad I purchase a Marsh when I did

Imo most gf varieties should have been top worked to oranges, lemons, limes, or anything that wasn't gf decades ago. The only grapefruit variety that I've tried that wasn't bad is Star Ruby. Sweet, sour, thin pith with not much bitterness, I would say it's what gf should be.

Have you tried Melogold ? Here in southern calif I think Melogold is one of the best tasting white/yellow grapefruit ( cross of pummelo & marsh). I have a nice size tree which produces 50 lbs of the fruit each season and everyone I give the fruit to says its the best tasting grapefruit they had.

As for other hybrids I also like the tastes of cocktail grapefruit ( I get about 200 lbs each season) and valentine grapefruit.

SC, no I have not tried Melogold. I chose to plant Marsh seedless grapefruit instead of the popular red or pick varieties, for two reasons. First, I like white grapefruit, and second because I can purchase all the red or pink grapefruit I want at any market, but whites are now almost never found any more.

I try to keep mine as long on the tree and will only eat if they drop. Most of my grapefruits and pomelos are good keepers on the tree. I love the Valentine Pomelo the best. They're ready on Valentines Day and then start to sweeten up until they fall off.

Probably the sweetest grapefruit that I have was a backyard hybrid developed by Ed Valdivia, it's called Big Ed. I got a scionwood from him a long time ago before we had the quarantine. It is a hybrid between a grapefruit and an orange, similar to cocktail. But this one, after you harvest it, let it sit in the countertop a long time until it shrivels. Then you peel it off like a Satsuma and eat it like a pomelo, it is supersweet with thin rind.

Joe, you were 100% correct. Yesterday I picked up a Marsh grapefruit (white variety) that had fallen from the tree about a week earlier. My son and I each shared a half. The taste difference was quite amazing. My son and I both agreed that in the future we would wait until they drop from the tree to eat them. Live and learn.